gray bat Myotis grisescens Kingdom: Animalia FEATURES Phylum: Chordata The gray bat is large with long forearms. Its back has Class: Mammalia gray hair while the belly fur is gray-brown. Each wing Order: Chiroptera is attached to the ankle. Family: Vespertilionidae BEHAVIORS ILLINOIS STATUS The gray bat may be found in Illinois near the Ohio endangered, native River in the summer and along the southern one- half of the Mississippi River and in west central The endangered status of the gray bat in Illinois is Illinois in winter. It lives in a cave or mine in the due to human disturbance and vandalization of summer while in winter, it hibernates in a cave. The caves and from the bats ingesting insecticides from gray bat eats insects. It looks for insects among trees their prey. The gray bat is also on the federal and over water bodies. Females form maternity endangered species list for the United States. colonies in summer in caves or mines. It is possible that there is only one maternity colony in Illinois. Males and females hibernate together in the winter. Although there is little information available, it is believed that the southern Illinois gray bats move to Kentucky for the winter. Other gray bats winter in caves in Adams, Madison and Pike counties. Adult females leave the wintering site before any of the other gray bats and begin to establish the maternity colony. Young are born in late May and June. One young is born per female. The young bat can fly about four weeks after birth. The maternity colony begins to break up in July. Movement back to the winter colony begins in August. Mating occurs in the fall. Females do not bear young until their second year.

© Illinois Department of Natural Resources. 2020. Biodiversity of Illinois. Unless otherwise noted, photos and images © Illinois Department of Natural Resources. ILLINOIS RANGE

© Michael Durham

© Illinois Department of Natural Resources. 2020. Biodiversity of Illinois. Unless otherwise noted, photos and images © Illinois Department of Natural Resources. Aquatic Habitats bottomland forests; rivers and streams

Woodland Habitats upland deciduous forests

Prairie and Edge Habitats none

© Illinois Department of Natural Resources. 2020. Biodiversity of Illinois. Unless otherwise noted, photos and images © Illinois Department of Natural Resources.